


His Name

by ArdynIzuniaTrashLord (orphan_account)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Ballroom Dancing, Cinderella Elements, Cleaning, Crying, Diary/Journal, Gentle Kissing, Glass Slippers (Cinderella), Happy Ending, House Cleaning, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Masks, Verbal Abuse, happy crying doe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-04 00:04:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11543247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/ArdynIzuniaTrashLord
Summary: When Regis passed away, Noct's stepmother and stepsisters treated him the worst out of everything. They forced him to clean, make the food, go out to the market and made him live up in a tower. One day, out to get the mail, he receives a letter that would change his life.





	1. Chapter One: Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Ravus/Noctis, mostly because there are not a lot of works of it x-x. Expect me to make stories about this ship

 

The birds were chirping, the squirrels were gathering and the mice were chattering. Noctis, still deep in his slumber.

 

His birth mother passed away, from the cause of childbirth. Regis was lonely, with his son the only family he cherished. He wanted the best for him.

 

His father went on and married a woman, who had two daughters of her own. The two lived happily, until Regis passed away, caused by an unknown illness. Regis, given all the love he cherishes, given upon Noct. After his death, Noctis became more beautiful. Year by year, his icy blue eyes seemed to glow and his black hair shined blue in the light. His stepmother and sisters became jealous, treating him horribly. His sisters were snobby and spoiled and his mother forced his room to be up in a tower, isolating everyone from seeing his true beauty. 

 

He had to clean everything- not a single spot of dust to be seen. Sometimes, his family went out, leaving Noct alone to have cleaning duties. He hated the treatment. Yet, he had to deal with it. Though up in the tower he slept in, birds visited him. They made nests on top of his roof- sometimes even in his room. Noct had a heart for those tiny creatures. 

 

From being isolated for so long, he grew a talent of singing. True- Noctis considered himself as awkward and shy. But up in his room, nobody could hear. 

 

Right now, birds were tweeting. 

 

His blinds slowly unveiled, opening a good morning. Noctis was hit with the sudden warmth. He felt four little stick-like feet stamping his arms and chest. One of them pulled on his black strands. Noct groaned, his left hand waving them away. He spun around, shoving his face into his mattress. He used his pillow as cover, placing it on top of his head.

 

Through the crevices, one of the birds entered, tweeting loudly. Noctis couldn't help but giggle. The bird squeaked, flying out as soon as it could. One of the birds was on top of the pillow, jumping. Noct's left hand slowly made its way over to the blue bird, tickling its tail. The creature flew away, tweeting loudly. Noctis began laughing, lifting himself off of the mattress.

 

"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself..." Noct's laugh died down. He got off of his bed, preparing himself for the morning. Noctis began singing, bringing in a couple mice and birds in his room. The birds grabbed a sponge from a nearby counter, dipping it in some cold water. Noctis hid by a clothing screen. As he took off his clothes, he shivered as cold water splashed on his hair. 

 

He walked over to his desk, tying his hair up. His step-sisters would sometimes tell in disgust that his hair was too long and he resembled too much of a female. Noct decided to tie it up, in a cute, small [pony tail](http://www.galstyles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/latest-ponytail-hairstyles-for-short-hairs-9.jpg) using a ribbon. A small mouse climbed up his desk, squeaking at him. 

 

"Oh, hello. Hm? What? A visitor?" Noct cocked his head.

 

The mouse continued on. 

 

"I see. Well, I guess she'll need a nice, blue dress."

 

The mouse shook its head, squeaking even more. Noctis laughed.

 

"Ah, sorry. Maybe _he'll_ need a nice yellow shirt, huh?"

 

The mouse started to jump up and down. 

 

"Wait...in the mouse trap? Why didn't you say so!?" Noctis pushed his chair back, quickly standing up and exiting his room. He walked down a couple flights of stairs, meeting that horrible, rusty mouse trap set up by his stepmother. Inside, was a chubby, brown mouse, pacing back and forth like crazy. Noctis crouched down, taking the cage in his hands. He clicked his tongue a couple times.

 

"Oh, he's scared to death. Here, you reason with him." Noct gently put the cage down, letting one of the mice enter. They squeaked a couple times to each other. The new visitor looked up, seeing other mice, giving him a welcoming smile. Its gaze went onto Noct. The two mice exited the trap. Noctis heard a loud yell coming downstairs. He sighed, giving a weak smile to his mice friends.

 

"I've gotta get to work. You guys stay out of trouble. Also, stay _away_ from _Loqi_." Noct warned, pointing a naughty finger at them. He walked down the stairs, which took about a minute. He lived in a grand mansion. The ceilings were high, the marble was a pure white and the carpet was a beautiful crimson. First, he went outside, in order to feed a pet dog; Cor and his spoiled cat; Loqi. Loqi chased after mice when Noctis warned him not to do so. He laid down a bowl of milk to the cat. Cor and Loqi were both enemies. Well, Cor didn't really mind. He just ignored the cat and went on with his business. 

 

But sometimes, Loqi did things that were pretty irritating. Cor held a grudge against him, because one time, Loqi decided to rip apart Noct's favourite apron, tearing it into shreds before it could even be recognised as one. The two had a brawl for an hour until Noctis found out and kicked both of them out. Loqi was a complete asshole and Noct could agree. Loqi would scratch him whenever he wasn't given "enough" food. He would continuously run out of the bathtub and scratch Noct until he was bleeding. Noctis decided to bring Cor in whenever Loqi had to bathe.

 

He went over to the kitchen, preparing food right away. A simple dish- nothing difficult. Eggs, bacon, toast and a cup of water. There were bells on the wall and they started ringing, hearing voices from his stepsisters yelling. 

 

"Noctis!? Where's my _breakfast_!?" A loud, screech yelled out. The diminutive animals ran and flew away from the sudden noise.

 

"Coming..." Noctis muttered under his breath. He was finishing the last piece of toast, spreading butter on it. He carried threes trays, somehow. He had one on his left hand, one on his right and on top of his head. They managed to balance.

 

"Noctiiiss!" The voice continued, whining. 

 

"Hold on- I'm coming...!" Noctis responded. He walked up the stairs carefully, almost tripping on the very last step. He speed walked over to the left, putting the trays on the floor. He gently knocked on the door, receiving a "Come in!". Noct opened up the door, picking up the three trays.

 

"Ugh- what did I tell you!? No. Putting. The. Trays. On. The. Floor!" She hissed.

 

"I'm sorry. I needed to knock on the door and my hands were full-"

 

"Whatever. You're forgiven. Just give me my breakfast." She snobbily said, crossing her arms. Noctis lowered the left tray on his hand, putting it gently on his step-sister's lap. She quickly gobbled the buttered smeared toast, leaving crumbs all over her blanket. She had pictures and paintings on her walls. It showed a silver haired man with heterochromia eyes. He had an amazing masculine face and had a disgust-filled expression. Noctis had to admit- the man was handsome.

 

A couple letters were pinned on a board, written by the man himself. The letters were mostly because they needed to pay their bills or if they've done something against the law. Instead of _worrying_ about it, his family instead squealed and tried fighting over the letter.

 

Noctis swore he got a headache because of them.

 

Sometimes, he would think out in space. He missed his father. A lot. Whenever he went out to the market, thinking to himself, he missed how his father spoke to him. How he cared about him. How he loved him in every single way. He supported him whenever he was being teased by his " _innocent_ " step-daughters. His father knew about their behaviour and wished him the best of luck after his death.

 

He went over to his other stepsister's room. He put one of the trays on top of his head, knocking on her door. Until he was given her consent, he opened the door, revealing his sister doing her nails. The red nail polish was smudged all over her palms without her even noticing. She got it all over her fingers and some on her face. She looked like a careless little girl, copying her mother as she did her makeup.

 

"Yeah, yeah, put the tray over there. And can't you see I'm busy!?"

 

"You told me to come in-"

 

"Ugh, whatever! You never listen..." She rolled her eyes, applying lipstick on her lips. It was bright, blood red colour. Noctis wanted to vomit on how disturbing it was- especially along side with her stupid nails.

 

"Oh- and take the laundry. I want it here in an hour! An. Hour." She stated. Noctis nodded without a word, taking the basket in his right hand, with a tray in his left.

 

The young man exited the room, heading off to his stepmother's. Every day, he would be given chores once he entered her room. It was complete hell. He would be given a list, 1-40 of chores to do under one day and he had to finish them all. Even if he grew ill, he still had to work. Even in the winter, he still had to feed the chickens outside, the horse outside, plough through the snow without any sufficient clothes. Not even a jacket!

 

A couple strangers would see him sick and tired. They felt sympathy for him, giving him gifts and soon taken away by his stepsisters and claimed it as "their's."

 

It was pretty irritating.

 

He headed off to his stepmother's room, knocking on her door. When he gained a response, he first hesitated and sighed. He opened the door and headed in, holding the tray over his stepmother's lap.

 

"Noctis, I have a list of chores for you."

 

Noct muttered something ungrateful, nowhere near his stepmother's hearing. The list was long as two metres. Scrub the floors, wash the laundry, wash the dishes, scrub the stairs, feed the animals and so on and so forth. The woman gave the list over to Noctis and his shoulders fell in defeat.

 

"Mother!" A loud screech was heard from one of the stepsister's. She came racing in, jumping up in down with terrified eyes. 

 

"Oh, mother! A-A mouse! There was a mouse! Noctis put it under my cup! He hangs around animals all the time!" She pointed her nasty nail polished index finger towards Noct and stuck her tongue out. Noctis wanted to grab it and rip it out.

 

"What? But I didn't-"

 

"Yes, you did!"

 

"No, I did not-"

 

"Yes!"

 

"N-"

 

"Enough!" The stepmother began. "Noctis, what you did is unacceptable-"

 

"But I didn't put the mouse-"

 

"Silence! All you do is be around those disgusting creatures. It is obvious the fault is put on _you_." She gave a nasty glare.

 

Noctis stayed quiet.

 

"Very well. No lunch or dinner for you today. You will be given extra chores- double the amount you have right now. Get them finished under five hours-"

 

"Five hours? But- Mother, I cannot finish this in such a short period-"

 

The old woman gave a glare of disgust- as if Noctis could finish the chores under thirty minutes. 

 

"...Yes, mother..." Noctis nodded his head, exiting the room. He fell in defeat as his stepsisters teased him by pushing his shoulder and whispered ridiculous lies about him and taunted about his ponytail.

 

Noct left the room, sighing greatly. He went into the kitchen, grabbing a bucket and a rag. He looked at the list of chores he had to do- which was a lot. Clean the toothbrushes? It was stupid! He started at the entrance, cleaning the floors. He added in some soap- probably too much. It overflowed with bubbles, reflecting off of him. Upstairs, he could hear one of his stepsisters singing horribly and one playing the flute ridiculously. They were barely even in sync.

 

Noctis wanted to block his ears, yet his hands were wet. Instead, he started singing to cover the noise. He was singing the same song his stepsisters were. After singing, he realised around him were dust covered footprints. He looked up at the stairs, seeing Loqi.

 

"Loqi...! Are you kidding me?" Noctis hissed. He got up, about to towel whip the cat into shape. 

 

He heard the doorbell ringing. It was grand- grand like Big Ben's bell. 

 

Noctis walked away, preoccupied with the door. He creaked it open, revealing a man in fancy clothes.

 

"Letter from the palace." He stated, handing the cream coloured letter over to the younger man. Noctis took it, replied with a nice smile and a "Thank you." then shut the door. He flipped it over, reading the words on the front. He gasped.

 

He ran up the stairs- heading to his stepmother's room. He slammed open the door, which made his stepmother press her fingers hard on the piano keys. 

 

"Noctis- what did I tell you about interrupting-"

 

"It's a letter! From the palace-"

 

"The palace? Give me that! It's mine after all." One of his step-sister's grabbed greedily, looking at the fine cursive writing. Before she got to read it all, her sister grabbed it, tearing it in half. 

 

"Give me it!"

 

"No, it's mine-"

 

"I will be taking that." The stepmother spoke, taking the sheet of paper. Her eyes widened and gasped. "The royal palace is hosting a ball! Every woman must attend, for the young prince- will find a woman to marry." She read the exact words.

 

The two younger ladies squealed, jumping with excitement.

 

"M-Mother...may I come along-"

 

"It said "woman' Noctis." One of his step-sister's rolled her eyes.

 

"Do you seriously think the prince likes guys? Puh-lease...!"

 

"I won't go to marry him! I just want to experience what the castle looks like."

 

"Mother, you can't let him go! He's hideous!" His stepsisters started ranting, especially on Noctis' appearance on how "ugly" he looked. They say that he didn't look anything like a model, nor beautiful at all.

 

"Please- I'll work extra hard! I'll finish chores quickly! Please..." Noctis began to beg. His stepsisters started cackling.

 

"Very well. You may come with us."

 

"What!?" The two stepsisters said in union.

 

"But! Only _if_ you can find something to wear. And also, go to the market and buy us some groceries." The eldest woman in the room gave a small list with some money along with it. Noctis took it eagerly with a large smile on his face.

 

"I will. I will find something to wear!" Noctis said.

 

"Mother, what are you saying!?"

 

"He can't go with us!"

 

"Thank you...thank you so much!" Noctis thanked with excitement and bowed politely. "Thank you, mother!" Noctis ran out of his stepmother's room, quickly heading out the door to buy some groceries as he was told to do.

 

"Mother, why're you letting _him_ with _us_!?" The stepsisters exclaimed.

 

The mother gave a slow, short laugh. "I said _if_ he could find something to wear."

 

 

 


	2. Chapter Two:  Market Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hello? Prom?" Noctis yelled in the air. He removed the hood that was on his head, letting it fly down. 
> 
> "Up here, bud!" He heard a muffled voice. Noctis walked over to a spiral staircase, ascending. The first thing he saw, was Prompto hanging upside down on a single wooden beam. Noctis was surprised he hasn't fallen and broke his skull
> 
> "Uh...hey...got a quill and ink?" Noctis questioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended for the gang to just be normal, common villagers. Not the mice. Because in the movie, Cinderella gets married and the mice are later forgotten (UNLESS YOU WATCH THE SEQUEL- shhh...)

 

 

Already, Noctis was running straight into the village. Okay, it may have been a selfish act- yet he was allowed to go to the palace. The freaking palace! While walking in the village, he had a brown, hooded robe over him, covering his whole head and the bottom ends had ended right at his ankles and the rim of his sleeves ended right at his fingertips. He remembered his stepmother's words so clearly.

 

_"Do not let your face shine."_

 

The teasing his stepsisters gave him, on how "ugly' he was. He knew they were just fooling around, yet Noct began to believe in it and started getting self-conscious. Sometimes, he would rub his forearms and wear long sleeve shirts. He started to avoid eye contact and moved his bangs to cover some parts of his face. Noctis walked over to a nearby coffee shop. As a young child, his father would always want to go to the palace someday but never got the chance to. If Noctis had the ability on going, his father would love to hear every single bit of detail about it. 

 

He opened the door, hearing bells chime. He saw a man to the right who had glasses and light brown hair and wore gloves. He looked up from a book he was previously reading, clearing his throat.

 

"I'm terribly sorry for my first impression. Madame, what would you like-"

 

"No, it's okay! I'm also not...ah..." Noctis decided to take his hood off, giving the man who he really was. The man apologised- again.

 

"I see. Seems that I have mistaken your appearance." He gave a small smile, adjusting his spectacles.

 

"Eh, it happens a lot." Noctis wasn't lying. It did happen- many, many times. He remembered going into the market to buy some apples and ran into a man who actually thought he was a woman. Let's just say he... _coped_ a feel and left with a bloody, broken nose.

 

Noctis put his brown hood back on but was immediately stopped by the man.

 

"Why are you putting that on? You look completely fine. Unless it's a health condition." He said with concern.

 

Noctis' face flushed." Thanks. But my mother told me to not show my face to others. She says I'm pretty ugly and disgusting..."

 

"Ugly?" He scoffed. "You are not. You look beautiful."

 

Noctis blushed again. 

 

"My name is Ignis Scientia. Yours is...?"

 

"Oh, Noctis Lucis Caelum."

 

"Ah, I've heard rumours about you. The most popular spread out like wildfire."

 

"Wait...rumours?"

 

"Indeed. Even the palace has heard."

 

Noctis rubbed his face and groaned. "Ughhh..."

 

Ignis gave a confused glance. "What is the matter? It would be better off if you were excluded from that household."

 

"It's...embarrassing. I don't know- it just is!" Noctis exclaimed. "Look, can we just...forget about this? I just need to find some Ebony coffee."

 

"I understand," Ignis stated. Noctis began tugging the edges of his brown hood that was covering his head. "I actually have some Ebony coffee right here." The man ducked under his desk, grabbing a small can.

 

"Oh, uh, thanks. How much is it?"

 

"Free of charge."

 

"Haha, nice joke. No, seriously, what price is it?"

 

"Did I stutter?" The man chuckled.

 

Noctis bit the right inside of his cheek. "No..."

 

"It's supposed to be $2.99 but I'll leave it free for you. You do look quite tired."

 

"Agh, sorry." Noct rubbed his eyes. They had deep, dark bags under them. No wonder his family call him "ugly". "I had to wake up early to make breakfast. I couldn't get enough sleep last night because of chores and all..."

 

"Hm. I see." Ignis stared at the younger man. "Well then, you must be off. I mustn't keep your family waiting." Ignis already packed the can of Ebony coffee in a brown, paper bag, handing it to Noctis.

 

"Thanks." The raven took it. Ignis said that it was free but he couldn't help to pay. He sneakily slipped the payment once he left the shop. Ignis looked down, seeing two coins lying there.

 

Ignis sighed and smiled, taking the two coins in his palm. "How kind."

 

Noctis needed apples, bread, a carton of milk, a pie and tomatoes. Not that much than last time. He had a whole bucket load of food to buy. It took him about two hours to find everything and almost forty minutes to get everything checked in. His hands were sore after bringing them all home. Once he did, his stepsisters ran over to the bags, already pickpocketing everything and half of the food was already gone.

 

He went into the grocery store- which he usually went to when buying food. He would always see this muscular, tall man with black tattoos of a large bird, printed on his back and arms. He sometimes wore a jacket with no shirt at all. All women would immediately come over to the store, just to check out his manly eight pack. Noct felt a bit of jealousy stirring up in his chest.

 

Noct entered, taking a basket to his side. There were bits of garbage still inside but he didn't bother removing it. He went on, getting some apples first. After that, he went to get a carton of milk, then bread, tomatoes and finally...

 

a pie. Which, his stepsisters would take and smash it on Noctis' face. They would start cackling until their mother came by and claim that "Noct accidentally fell on it." Noct groaned at the thought of it and went to the bakery. He took a fresh, blueberry pie, adding it his collection. He went over to the cashier, which had a line up full of females. They spoke flirty lines to the man, to only get turned down. Noctis snorted and rolled his eyes.

 

He had two women behind him, snickering and whispering to each other. 

 

"Hey, lady, where'd you get that from? Your dead grandma's corpse?" One of them spoke, the two laughing like a hyena. He wasn't surprised they thought he was a woman. He's met these types of people in the past and simply ignored them.

 

Noct pulled his hood closer against his face. His head hung down low and put the basket on the counter. The cashier silently checked them in, giving a small receipt. Noctis muttered a small " _Thanks_." and was about to leave.

 

"Oh! Maybe your father's dead body?"

 

Noctis twitched.

 

Okay.

 

That was fucking stupid.

 

"Are you kidding me?" Noctis turned around. "Do you seriously know what you're up against?"

 

"Ooo, I am _so_ scared. What is 'lil 'ol mourning lady like you gonna do, huh?" One woman came up and flicked Noct's forehead. His hood almost falls off. Noct quickly grabbed it, pulling it before it fell. The women noticed, starting to toy the young man. One of them grabbed his hood, pulling it back until it choked him. The females gasped, realising _truly_ they were up against.

 

"Just saying. I'm not a fucking "lady"...and do not disrespect my god damn family. Noctis wanted to smack them with a basket as a good reminder but didn't. The ladies fled quickly out of the shop. Goddamn cowards. Noct sighed, taking his grocery bags before the cashier man stopped him.

 

"What you did was _fantastic_. You have no idea how many times those chicks have been here just to loiter. You're my saviour, the stuff is free."

 

"Ah- what? No, I should really pay." Noctis gave a nervous laugh.  

 

"I insist." The man replied.

 

"Uh...what is the amount I should have paid?" Noctis asked.

 

"Just $15.50. And my name is Gladiolus Amicitia," He replied. "Why?"

 

"Uh- no reason. No reason at all." Noctis took his bags in his hands and left the shop. He secretly snuck in his money without the man seeing. As he was about to clean up the counter, he noticed coins lying there. He gave a small grin.

 

"A quill...and some ink," Noctis spoke to himself. There was a book shop not too far away from him. The owner was a blond, freckled man who would sometimes be hard to find. His name's Prompto and had a strange hairstyle, slightly like Noct's. He looked up, seeing a wooden board with a picture of a book and a quill. He entered the shop, meeting old, dusty books. He coughed as dust hit his face and waved his right hand in front of his face.

 

He couldn't find the shop keeper. Probably upstairs, adjusting and replacing old and new books.

 

This was the only time he could take off his hoodie in semi-publicity. The store didn't have many people. They were mostly elders or important looking people. Children sometimes ran in for the fun of it and ran out a couple seconds later. The shop seemed lonely. Noctis wondered how Prompto still had that sunshine baby face.

 

"Hello? Prom?" Noctis yelled in the air. He removed the hood that was on his head, letting it fly down. 

 

"Up here, bud!" He heard a muffled voice. Noctis walked over to a spiral staircase, ascending. The first thing he saw, was Prompto hanging upside down on a single wooden beam. Noctis was surprised he hasn't fallen and broke his skull.

 

"Uh. hey...got a quill and ink?" Noctis questioned.

 

"Oh! Yeah, totally. Give me a second." Prompto started to lower himself down. But instead of lowering himself gently and carefully, instead, he fell. He let out a groan of pain and Noct rolled his eyes. He walked down the stairs, followed by the blond.

 

"Did you hear the news last night? All the rich folks received a letter- which means you've got one too!" Prompto exclaimed as he ducked down under a desk.

 

"Yeah and I'm just...really excited." Noctis gave a breathy laugh.

 

"You're so lucky. I wish I got one..." Prompto got up with a box, wrapped around his arms. He gave a shrug and dropped the large object onto the counter. "oh well. Here's a quill. I'm not sure if I have ink, but..." He trailed off, searching down below the counter.

 

"I might have some ink at home," Noctis assured.

 

"Nah, hold on," Prompto searched one more time, moving his hand left and right, moving boxes after boxes. He found a small jar with black filling inside. "got some!" He yelled as he hit his head under the countertop.

 

Noctis snorted.

 

"Here ya go. Free of charge-"

 

"You too? Okay, I know we're friends- but everybody's giving me things without paying. Is...this some curse?" Noctis joked.

 

Prompto snorted. "I don't know what happened to you but it's probably some weird lucky charm." He took the small jar and put it in a brown, paper bag. "So, uh, how's your family?"

 

"Horrible."

 

"Agh, I wish I could help." Prompto grounded his teeth together, inhaling through them.

 

"It'll be fine. Just a lot of chores I've gotta do. But it's worth it."

 

"Worth going to the palace, huh? Wanna fulfil your dad's wishes?"

 

Noctis nodded his head. "Totally."

 

Prompto laughed. "I've never had a mom or dad. Well...that I know of." He shrugged. "Well, you better get home. Your stepmom would be upset."

 

"Yeah, yeah, don't be pushy. See you later."

 

"You too!" Prompto waved at Noct and the other waved back. The blond sighed, exhausted from shelving books and reorganising items. He laid his head down on the counter for a couple seconds, realising a cold metal touching his forehead. He gave a short laugh, rolling his eyes.

 

"...Nice." Prompto stated as he shoved the coins in his pocket.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, tattoos exist back then (in this au of course :3)
> 
> WHO WANTS VERYNICE!NOCTIS??


	3. Chapter Three: Suit Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dude- what're you wearing!?" Prompto exclaimed, utterly shocked to even move an inch. 
> 
> "Sorry, I had to run all the way here," Noctis removed his hood. "my other clothes are in the laundry. And, yeah, my stepsisters did all this." Noctis spun around, giving the three a good look at him.

 

 

_"Your Highness..." The man began, bowing politely._

 

_"And what are you to report, messenger?" The prince questioned._

 

_"I have...found a particular man in the market today."_

 

_"A man? Specify." The Prince clasped his hands together. He sat in his throne, squinting his eyes at his messenger._

 

_"His family finds him disgusting. Revolting and ugly. He covers himself up using a brown, ragged sackcloth with a hood over his head all the time. I've heard rumours spread that he's been working for his stepmother right after his father passed away. He would accomplish and do anything that his father wished for and fulfil them," That caused the prince to raise his right brow, interested._

 

_"I must admit, his eyes shine beautifully like ice and his hair looked black as the midnight sky. Your Highness, I must say...he might be the one." The messenger added in._

 

_The prince shifted himself in his throne, crossing his leg over the other. "Where does he live?"_

 

_"That, I do not know. I am sorry."_

 

 _The prince made a "_ hmph _" sound. "Very well. I will like to meet him. What is his name?"_

 

_"Noctis Lucis Caelum."_

 

_"I see. He better be at the ball I am hosting. If not, the chances of marrying suitors are very slim."_

 

_"I understand, Your Highness. Good day." The man bowed once again._

 

 

Noctis was feeling quite generous. His family basically borrowed money from a secret organisation and whenever they had to pay back, Noct was the one who had to do it. One time he didn't have enough money, he was beaten up and thrown aside into an alleyway. He limped back home, for his stepmother to scold him for looking ridiculous and being late at such an hour.

 

He still has a couple scars on his arms and legs, which he had to cover up using long sleeve shirts and long pants and his dirty apron he usually wore.

 

After Noct returned to his house, he immediately ran up to his room, shut his door, which alarmed his little critters and tried to find an outfit to wear. He saw the castle from a distance, which was all pure white. He bet the floors were so shiny, it reflected off the ceiling. 

 

In his wardrobe, nothing seemed...formal. Just tattered, maybe stitched up or a there were rips and unwashable stains he tried to scrub off but couldn't. Okay, he found black pants. But hell no- they were ugly.

 

White shirt? No, it was stained.

 

Shoes? The only shoes he had with him, were winter boots and the ones he wore on right now.

 

Damn. It was getting pretty difficult. He might have to beg his stepmother to get some money and buy some clothes- which, she would not allow. Or he would have to go out into town and beg Prompto to find him something to wear. His friend never went to anything formal, so he had nothing fancy to wear. Or maybe sneak into his sister's- no, no! He's _not_ wearing a dress.

 

Noctis shudders at the memory of their wardrobes. Smelly and cluttered from head to toe.

 

One of his step-sister's bras were just lying on the ground without any care. Noct had to use _gloves_ to pick it up and throw it in the wash! It was so disgusting, there were strands of hair and since it was white, boob sweat absorbed and became a cream coloured yellow. Oh, Shiva, it was disgusting...!

 

He would have to clean up the kitchen soon and make dinner as fast as he could. Clean up Loqi's litter box and give hay to their horse. If he did it non-stop, he could gain muscles and beat up a bodybuilder in arm wrestling.

 

Noct sighed, looking at the clock. He ran down the stairs and once he closed the door, his animal friends got to work. The stepsisters had things in their closets they didn't need. One of them threw out a pair of black pants, a black shirt that none of them would dare to wear and some black shoes to fit in. Buttons flew out of their rooms, unfortunately miss-matched. But Noct wouldn't mind. 

 

The animals managed to fly the heavy fabric and material back into Noctis' room, already bringing out a mannequin and started building his suit. It didn't look _the_ best but at least he had a suit to wear.

 

He needed to set up dinner. His stepsisters and stepmother were talking to each other, slowly walking down the stairs. Crap! Noct hadn't even started cooking! He just needed to stale them just a little bit-

 

A couple mice climbed up the stairs, causing his family to freak out. They squealed, terrified of the rodents. They were chased up back into their rooms, yelling for Noctis to get rid of them immediately. Noct rolled his eyes, started to make food instead of helping them out.

 

Noct had enough time to make food for his family, setting three plates on the dining table. The young man would have to eat upstairs, as for his family didn't want to speak with him at the table.

 

Sad, but a daily routine.

 

Noct left his plate on the countertop, walking to the stairs to call in his family. His stepsisters checked if the coast was clear, still terrified of the rodents who could be lurking in the halls. 

 

"There's no mice. I promise." Noctis breathed out, giving relief to his family. They walked down the stairs casually as if nothing happened. As his family entered the dining room, he bowed politely.

 

"You didn't make spaghetti? Why salad? Bleh!" His stepsisters complained about the food and said that their steaks were "overcooked". Obviously, they were lying, just trying to get Noctis into trouble. Noctis got out of their way, not even picking up his plate. He didn't really _need_ to eat. He rarely ate dinner. Or lunch. Or even breakfast. Or just leave the whole day without eating.

 

Noct found Loqi, just lying on the floor.

 

"Lazy feline." Noctis spat out as he walked past him.

 

The cat hissed in annoyance while Cor looked and was amused. Loqi growled at him, threatening to scratch him until he bled and whimpered. Cor rolled his eyes and followed after the young man.

 

Noctis finished cleaning out Loqi's litter box, filling it in with crushed up sand. He quickly headed outside, picking up a huge stack of hay and tossing it in the stable of their horse, giving a small pat on his head. He wiped his forehead using the back of his hand as sweat almost fell down his eyebrows. He ran back inside, only to be given another task at hand.

 

The animals had just a bit of time on finishing up the young man's outfit.

 

Noct began walking up the stairs into his isolated room, to only be introduced by lots of tweeting and very tiny soft sounding footsteps through the door. He twisted the handle, making a gentle clicking noise. Their chattering stopped.

 

Noctis peeked into the room, to see a black, beautiful [suit](http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/3/3b/Noctis-Suit-FFXV.png/revision/latest?cb=20160409203334).

 

"...H-How did you guys even?" Noctis stuttered, just amazed and surprised at his animal friends creation.

 

"I...In this short amount of time? I can't even...f-for me?" Noct stuttered again but didn't care. His animal friends tweeted and squeaked in response.

 

"I...I'm so confused..." Noct felt like passing out. He needed a cup of water, which one of his larger, stronger mice friends brought in next to him. He took the glass, lifting it up to his lips and taking a sip out of it. He planted his bottom on his mattress. Was he...really going to the palace? With an actual suit!?

 

"But...I cannot thank you guys enough...!" Noctis exclaimed. He wanted to hug them- no, he would suffocate them. Kiss them- no that would be considered bestiality. Eh, whatever.

 

It was Noct's exact measurements. He's still confused on how they brought the material upstairs in such a matter of time. Had time flew by so quickly? Downstairs, he heard his stepsisters and stepmother walking up the stairs, already finished lunch. They were getting dressed for the ball! Noct gathered the newly fresh clothes from the mannequin, putting it on swiftly.

 

He slipped on the shirt first, then the jacket. He adjusted his tie, as his father told him before he passed away. He buttoned himself up, which were slightly uneven and were off coloured. He didn't give a crap about it. He slipped on pants that were thought to be given to women. Some passers say that his legs seemed a little too "feminine". And he would be easily mistaken by people for being a woman.

 

Finally, the shoes. Black shoes. These are...these are shoes that belong to a woman too.

 

Where did his animal friends get these things from?

 

Hopefully not the trash.

 

He finished applying the suit on. He looked pretty dandy. The birds made a funny cat-whistle as Noctis spun around, adoring himself in his body lengthed mirror. 

 

"Noctis, we're leaving now! You better do your chores once we're ba-"

 

Shit.

 

"Mother! Please, wait! I-"

 

"We're leaving-"

 

"I have a suit!" Noctis paused her. The stepmother's right eyebrow twitched. His stepsisters rolled their eyes, waiting for the young man to approach the final step. Noct exited his room, flying his door opened. He ran down the stairs in a quick manner, running into the hallway. He ran down another flight of stairs, approaching the grand lobby room. There was the carriage outside. He could just see a glimpse through the window.

 

_"I heard the carriage is adorned, all white and pure like a dove. Golden hinges and beautiful horses." His father tells him._

 

_"Woah...are...we ever going in those carriages?" Noctis questioned as his father patted his back._

 

_"Maybe one day. I would love to see the palace and all over its glory." Regis smiled._

 

"Gross! Are you wearing _black_? It's supposed to be a place of white. Not this edgy, dark thing...!" His step-sister pointed out, pointing her index finger at the young man.

 

"Do you seriously think we're allowing you in the carriage? You'll stand out in the ball in an instant! We'll get kicked out and it'll be all your fault!"

 

"A...Are those my buttons? How dare you steal from me!" His step-sister yelled in anger, gripping Noct's collar. She picked on the buttons on his jacket, one by one. Noct tried to back away but couldn't. His other step-sister started ripping his tie off, choking him in the process. His stepmother just watched as he was being abused and ridiculed by his stepsisters.

 

"That's my shirt!"

 

"Those are my shoes!"

 

"That's my jacket!"

 

Noct was soon released from their deathly grasps, to be standing with his clothes ripped apart. His skin was sore and red, being thrown and gripped around. His hair was picked on, grabbed and pulled. He had a sensitive scalp, some people would say. His main weakness.

 

"I..." The young man could not say anything. No words at all.

 

"You have nothing to wear." The stepmother finally said. "Remember to scrub the floors extra shiny." She said as his stepsisters left the building and his mother shut the door with a loud bang.

 

Noctis couldn't believe it. What...the fuck just happened?

 

\----

 

Noctis wanted to weep. He didn't wear that stupid brown sackcloth over his body or head. He ran over to Prompto's shop. God, he felt so fucking depressed. He failed his father's promise. He hoped his spirit didn't come and haunt him.

 

He got an awful lot of stares but Noctis stared back angrily. They quickly minded their own business. 

 

Thankfully, the store wasn't closed, so Noct didn't come running over for no reason. He slammed the door open, the wind chime ringing. Prompto popped up, with two people in the back, taking boxes in their hands and shelving them.

 

"Dude- what're you wearing!?" Prompto exclaimed, utterly shocked to even move an inch.

 

"Sorry, I had to run all the way here," Noctis removed his hood. "my other clothes are in the laundry. And, yeah, my stepsisters did all this." Noctis spun around, giving the three a good look at him.

 

"...Your family is _crazy_!"

 

"Don't need to tell me twice. I just wanna die in a hole..." Noct sat slid down on the ground by the counter, hugging himself into a ball.

 

"Awwh, what's 'lil ol' Noct doin'?" A girl with an accent asked.

 

"Cindy, not now." Noctis hid his face in his arms.

 

"Crap. I wish I could supply you with a suit to wear, but I got none. Sorry, bud. Maybe next year they'll host a ball?"

 

"Prom, it takes 50 years to rehost a ball at the palace."

 

"I was tryna brighten your day..." Prompto shrugged.

 

"Hey, where do I put these?" A rough, husky voice asked in the back room. There was a man who had tattoos all over his arms and back. He was the guy who was at the grocery store. Next to him was a guy with glasses, light brown hair and green eyes. 

 

"Put 'em above y'all," Cindy replied. The two followed that simple instruction, shoving them on the top shelf, pushing them back against a wall. 

 

 "Oh, it's you guys-"

 

"What the hell are you wearing!?" Gladiolus said, shocked.

 

"Argh, just...ignore it for now."

 

"I see...were you attending the ball? Did something happen?" Ignis asked.

 

"Oh, yeah. I was going to but my stepsisters stopped me. As you can see..." Noctis spread open his arms, showing off all the rips in his pants, shirt, jacket and there was a red, burning mark around his neck.

 

"Hmmm. How unfortunate." Ignis squinted his eyes, mentally calculating in his mind.

 

"You wanted to go marry the prince? Wow, didn't think you'd have it in you." Gladio snickered, teasing the raven. Noct brought his head up from his arms, giving a nasty glare at the muscular man.

 

"Hey, I'm not _marrying_ him. I just want to check out the palace." Noct's cheeks flushed a red colour, almost like a bright tomato.

 

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking." Gladiolus scoffed.

 

"I think I may have an outfit for you, Noct," Ignis suggested, putting his thumb and index finger to his chin. He walked into the back room, where a ton of boxes was kept. He took one of them, which was surprisingly light. He laid it upon a table, taking hold of the flaps and revealing what was iniside. 

 

What was inside, was a white outfit, formal and utterly beautiful. 

 

"H..How did you get this? Was it just lying in the back room for no reason?" Noctis questioned. Ignis did not reply, causing Noct to become even more confused. The [outfit](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3lTgeqWYAAESSR.jpg) was glimmering white, white a black inside shirt, black, sharp looking gloves, white pants that would end up at the belly button and white shoes. Almost everything was white, asides from the shirt.

 

"You will be dressed up as the Oracle, attending to the ball. The Oracle in Niflheim will be absent, as she is travelling around Eos to heal the sick."

 

"The Oracle?" Noctis has seen her walk around town, helping and caring the elderly and infirm, aiding the poor with sufficient food, water, clothing and money to set them for at least a month. She had beautiful, gorgeous bright golden locks, pretty blue eyes and pale skin. She had a skinny figure and an hourglass body shape. She usually wore a white dress and sometimes lily white heels or flats.

 

He had to admit, he did gain a crush on her while he was young. But then he realised how impossible it would've been to actually _speak_ with her. He thought that he would never even gain the chance before he dies.

 

"What're you waiting for? A kiss on the cheek? Hurry and change!" Ignis ordered, shoving the whole box into Noctis' arms. He let out an " _Okay, okay..._ " and ran into the back room, shutting the door.

 

Noct struggled to put on this strange cape thing on his shoulders, as it was slipping off of his shoulders.

 

"Utterly hopeless..." Ignis sighed, adjusting his spectacles and walking into the back room, aiding Noct out of surprise. He yelped, arguing loudly and pushing Ignis out of the room. He eventually gave up and allowed the older man to help him.

 

Noct finally finished putting on his outfit, with the help of Ignis. The older man opened up the door, revealing Noctis in his full attire.

 

"Dang, Noct, you lookin' great. I bet everyone at the ball will fall for 'ya." Cindy complimented.

 

"I'm just visiting, not trying to...show off of flirt."

 

"Oh, I almost forgot. Ya better be back here before twelve, a'ight?" Cid stated.

 

"Why twelve?"

 

"The Oracle's gettin' married to someone at twelve and we can't have 'ya gettin' married. Regis would have a heart attack." Cid chuckled. The two have been friends for a very long time. When Regis died, Cid mourned for quite a while and took care of Noctis when he was little. He knew about his stepmother and her evil intentions. He did his best to care for him until he grew up.

 

"T...To who?"

 

"If the prince ain't gonna marry anyone after twelve, then it's the Oracle's turn to find a suitor. Of course, you should leave right away before twelve. Even if you're bein' stopped, 'ya just gotta break through." Cid responded to the younger man's question.

 

"And how am I going to get there?"

 

Cindy bent over, grabbing hold of two handles of a garage door. "With this 'lil darlin'." She said.

 

"Oh, my Shiva..." Noctis groaned.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what transportation they're going in? (it isn't pretty)


	4. Chapter Four: Selection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Chancellor, who is that?" Iedolas questioned.
> 
> "Hm. It appears I don't know. It looks like he is not on the party list. I assume he is a getaway. Should I suggest calling the guards?" The Chancellor responded back.
> 
> "No, no. Leave it. I think our Prince is attracted to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where a sudden "asshole" appears
> 
> Also, finally, yes, FINALLY, where Ravus and Noctis interact! YAAAAAAAAAAS!!!

 

"You're joking, right?" Noctis gave a nervous laugh. There was no freaking way that he would go inside of a rusty old truck, that smelled like livestock lived in there. He worried that the seats were dirty, especially since his outfit was completely white. Sitting on it would make him look like he shit himself. He heard ruffling to his side, Cindy shoving Prompto into the back room, along with Gladiolus. Ignis walked in with three boxes, stacked up onto each other.

 

A minute of silence and shuffling, Noctis heard Prompto screeching loudly out of joy. He saw the bottle to his right on the counter shaking from the sudden loud squeal. The door flew wide open, Prompto walking out with a light grey jacket, a brownish, reddish shirt on the inside and a brown tie. His pants were a darker shade of grey, with pockets he put his hands in.

 

Gladiolus had a full black tuxedo, a white inside collar shirt and a red tie. He had a pair of shiny, deep black shoes that completed his outfit.

 

Ignis was a little bit more formal. A black tail coat that reached to his upper thighs, a vertical striped shirt that was buttoned up and a black tie. He had black dress pants and a nice pair of black shoes. 

 

Their [outfits ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/b4/e3/6a/b4e36a80983427a84e17574d29e6c8be--dress-suits-dresses.jpg)were amazing.

 

"C'mon, Noctis. She's the only transport 'ya can get." Cindy replied as she exited the back room. "She might be a 'lil dirty and noisy but you've got no other option."

 

"Noct, you've been around dirt and dust. It won't be _that_ hard." Prompto formed a large grin on his face. He adjusted his jacket and tie and smoothed out his hair, to maybe impress Cindy? Probably not.

 

"You sure this is the only thing?" Noctis questioned.

 

"Mhm," Cid replied, nodding his head. Noctis swore- if the truck broke down in the middle of nowhere, he would just walk there, even while wearing clean, white shoes. He was still wondering how Ignis had those clothes in a box. He had no interactions or descendants to the royal family. He was just a regular shop keeper. Unless...he was secretly some- no. Fuck, hell no. That'd be _impossible_.

 

"...Okay, fine." Noctis groaned. He was desperate, which was the easy bit. The hard part was to stand the smell, the looks and hopefully nobody would spot him.

 

Cid was already inside of the vehicle. "You'll be takin' shotgun." He said.

 

"What? Hell no!" Noctis exclaimed. He would rather sit in the back where there were no windows at all.

 

"Guys, shove him in," Cid ordered as the three men behind Noct started grabbing him by the forearms and legs, carrying him over inside of the truck. Noctis flailed his limbs around but couldn't escape. He screeched and cursed, causing strangers outside to stare, confused.

 

Noct hissed. "I'm not going in a rusty old truck-"

 

\----

 

They were all inside of the rusty old truck, asides from Cindy, who was taking care of the library. Noctis slid down his seat, slumping lazily. He leaned his back against the seat, cushioning himself into a more comfortable position.

 

"You guys are jerks," Noctis announced.

 

"You're welcome, _princess_." Gladio snickered.

 

"Oh, haha, _thanks_." The younger man replied sarcastically. They hit a rock, causing everybody to jolt and jump with the vehicle. Not only Noctis didn't want to be in a smelly truck, was also because he had motion sickness. He couldn't stand being in a truck for a simple ten minutes, jump out and be totally fine. He usually walked instead of taking rides.

 

"I'm gonna vomit..."

 

"Huh? Can't take the smell?" Gladio grinned evilly, receiving a glare from Noct.

 

"He's got motion sickness." Prompto pointed out.

 

"How long's the ride for?"

 

"At least thirty more minutes." Ignis assumed. "It will not be that long."

 

"I...was talking to Cid but I guess your answer is fine. How do you know? Did you just guess?" Noctis questioned. Ignis was weird. Was he some wizard who could control time and space and knew all beyond human discovery? 

 

"...Estimated." Ignis replied slowly.

 

"Of course..." The raven haired man replied. Noctis thought that Ignis has never been to the palace before. He might've. But if he did, he would tell Noct right away and all the information. 

 

Exactly thirty minutes, they arrived at the palace. It was quite strange for a rusty, dirty old truck to pull up at the castle's front gates. Noctis slumped down into his seat, humiliated and nervous. He played with his fingers and bit the skin surrounding his nails. It was an unhealthy habit he had for a long time, right after his father's death. Something about stress and depression and he couldn't handle it. So he found a stress relief by chewing his nails up until they became ugly or started to bleed.

 

Noctis would sometimes have to work around the house with soap or spicy, sour foods. The liquid would spread and get into his skin, which would sting painfully. He soon got used to it and later his habit grew more and more before it became part of him.

 

"Alright, kiddo. Get out the truck. We'll pick you up right at twelve." Cid bumped the raven's shoulder, waking him into reality.

 

"I just need to say this...I want to thank you. With the bottom of my heart." Noctis replied, staring into the older man's eyes.

 

The older man snorted. "Get outta here. Have fun." He formed a weak old man smile, with Noctis replying with a chuckle. He opened up the door, dropping his feet down to the ground. The ground wasn't muddy. Clean and smooth. Very different what he had back at the village. From being distracted by the dirt, he glanced up at the palace. Huge as hell.

 

"Dude, look how guards there are!" Prompto exclaimed, swooping his arm around Noctis' shoulders, bringing him closer to his body and pointed at the number of men, wearing an armour suited outfit.

 

The whole palace was completely white, with rims and hints of gold. Noctis could see a row of guards on separate sides. Totally more than a hundred, that's for sure. He heard Prompto yelling behind him, encouraging and waving his hand in the air. The engines roared, driving away back to the village. 

 

Noctis wondered about the interiors. He desperately wanted to explore the insides of the castle, to even sprint in there without asking permission. But he restrained himself, somehow. Ignis walked in first, the guards allowing him and his friends inside immediately. 

 

"They know you well?" Noctis whispered up into Ignis' ear.

 

"I suppose." He replied. Getting enough information out of Ignis was going to be difficult. Prompto, despite not even knowing the interior and directions of the palace, speed walked inside with Noctis by his side, pointing at everything like an arrow. Paintings, flower pots, tables, chairs and even a fat breasted, snobby lady. Noctis and Prompto snorted and laughed when she rolled her eyes, walking away.

 

The guards stood like statues, not showing any emotion, nor moving a muscle. It even looked like they weren't even breathing.

 

Noctis was getting distracted by grand place. The ceilings were high, higher than the ones back home, which he thought was the tallest he's ever seen. The ceiling had colourful stained glass and Corinthian white pillars. He saw a butler- no. A number of butlers, who were exiting two doors with trays in their hands, back straight and their faces emotionless. They were heading somewhere.

 

Noct followed them, seeing where they were going. A couple hallways and a giant, grand room, enough to fill at least twenty thousand people. 

 

 "Woah..." The raven whispered. "Prompto, check it-" He spun around, trying to find the blond. 

 

"out..." Prompto was nowhere to be seen. Nor Gladiolus nor Ignis. None of them were there. Did he run off too far? People were chatting, wearing white, mostly white, some wearing a light grey. Women had lily white dresses, huge, bigger than their entire bodies. There were tables, covered with white tablecloths and arranged food on the top. The dessert looked fucking delicious. Prompto would dive his face into that vanilla cake.

 

He felt so lost right now. He started wandering down a hallway and into a big room. He was all alone, trying to search for something- anyone who seemed like his friends. The floors were tiled, beautiful and shiny. He could see his reflection. There was a huge crowd of people in a massive circle, with women lining up, mostly fighting for their places aggressively.

 

Noctis could see his family in the distance, his stepsisters in a line with those women, involved with the constant arguing. In the distance, he could see his stepmother staring and watching people as they pass by. Crap. They could see him in the public. Noct slowly backed up but was stopped by a body behind him.

 

"Excuse me..." A voice asked beside Noctis. Sounded formal- but nothing like Iggy's tone. A little more harsh and strict. The young man turned his head to the side, blinking twice.

 

There was a man in front of him, wearing a white, large coat with black lining with a large collar that has a purple trim and boots that looked like they were made out of metal. There were downward black pointing sword symbols at the hems and the sleeves of his coat, along with a large crest that seemed to be a symbol. The man had a strange-looking contraption, attached to his left shoulder. It appeared to be an arm made out of metal. Purple, black and had sharp claws that could slice through butter.

 

_Did he lose his arm somehow?_

 

"Chancellor, who is that?" Iedolas questioned.

 

"Hm. It appears I don't know. It looks like he is not on the party list. I assume he is a getaway. Should I suggest calling in the guards?" The Chancellor responded back.

 

"No, no. Leave it. I think our Prince is attracted to him."

 

Iedolas and the Chancellor were up on a balcony, watching as the Prince interacted with the raven haired man.

 

Back to Noctis, the man he bumped into had heterochromatic eyes with the right eye being blue and the left eye being purple. What a unique, yet strange combination. His hair was platinum blond, near the colour to silver. He had hallowed cheeks and a sharp jawline.

 

Beyond all that, he was handsome. _Extremely_ handsome.

 

Crap- was this some love at first sight kind of thing?

 

"Oh! Uh, I'm sorry. Am I in the way-"

 

"No. Of course not. I'm only asking if you're the Oracle for tonight's ball." He replied. Oh. _Oh_. God- that tone was so fucking sexy- no. Wait- god dammit, no! Noctis' weird fantasies started flooding his mind instantly. His cheeks flushed a bright pink, causing the other man to tilt his head out of confusion.

 

"Are you fine? You're heating up. Do you feel ill?" The man asked, putting his left hand against Noctis' cheek. The raven's cheeks began to heat up even faster, his cheeks flaring like fire. 

 

"N-No! I'm fine. And uh, to answer your question, I _am_ the Oracle for tonight's ball." He said slowly.

 

"Good. My name is Ravus Nox Fleuret."

 

Ravus Nox Fleuret. That name sounded very familiar. Noctis felt he had heard that name before-...wait. No- no...it couldn't be! This man- the man standing right in front of him...

 

is the prince of Niflheim.

 

"Let us talk as we enter the ballroom. Shall we?" Ravus said with a kind, gentle smile, holding his non-prosthetic hand out to Noct. Noctis could feel his cheeks heating up again, staring into the man's beautiful, off coloured eyes.

 

"O-Of course-"

 

"I hate to break it up to you- but Fleuret must attend to some duties." A man, with a formal, husky and sarcastic-sounding tone spoke out of nowhere. He wore a giant coat, black boots, vertically striped pants and a cream coloured tunic that reached down to his thighs. He had an orange scarf as his headpiece and a black fedora on top of his red hair, which had curls that ended to his shoulders. He had predator-like amber eyes and a stubble on his jawline and down to his chin.  Anything about this guy gave Noctis the shivers.

 

The soft, sweet smile that formed on Ravus' lips turned into a depressing frown. Ravus deadpanned when the strange looking man strode in. He looked nothing like royalty. Well, kind of. He didn't wear white- which was a must-have at the palace. 

 

"Izunia-"

 

"Please, I'd just _love_ to meet the new _Oracle_." The man interrupted Ravus' sentence. The way he said " _Oracle_ " caused Noctis to shudder uncomfortably. The man strolled his way towards Noct, putting an arm behind him and held him by the waist.

 

"My name is Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim. Yours is?"

 

 _Good to know._ "Oh, uh. That's nice? I'm, uh..." Noctis replied nervously, clutching his hand in the other. 

 

"Shy? Your name will be kept a secret." Ardyn promised.

 

Ravus watched with scary, predator eyes violently. If looks could kill, Ardyn would be lying on the floor, dead. Noctis could see Ravus' prosthetic hand tighten up, his hand clutching into a fist.

 

"And what duties must I _attend_ to, for you to get involved in my _personal_ conversations." Ravus hissed.

 

"Oh? Is it not obvious? You must select a woman to marry, of course," Ardyn chuckled huskily. He turned his gaze towards Noct. "now then, I'll tour you around the palac-"

 

"I think not," Ravus growled like a wild animal. " _He_ will come with _me_. And _you_ will attend _your_ duties with the _Emporer_." He took hold of Noctis' arm with his prosthetic arm. He shivered from how cold the metal was.

 

Ardyn chuckled, lifting his hands in the air like he was caught robbing something. He started backing away with a creepy, mischevious smile forming on his face. He muttered a _"You win this round.",_ turning around and walked away. Noct could feel Ravus' grip loosening, releasing his arm with a sigh.

 

"I'm sorry. Follow me. I'll hand you your trident." The two started walking down a hallway, which Ravus shouldn't have been doing. He should be in the ballroom, selecting a bride! After twelve, the Oracle could receive their trident but they were going earlier, which was against the rules. Noctis had no clue so he stayed silent. Honestly, Ravus did _not_ want to be wedded to any of those women. They weren't his type.

 

"So uh...you hate Ardyn?"

 

"Very. He irritates me at least every five minutes. He gives me no rest." Ravus replied with a huff.

 

Noctis snorted which led to a laugh. "I feel bad for you.'

 

"I must ask, where did you come from? Altissia? Tenebrae?" 

 

"O-Oh. Oh! Uh...pft, Tenebrawl."

 

"You mean _Tenebrae_?"

 

 "Y-Yeah," Noctis replied nervously. _Shit, it was Tenebrae?_ Noct thought it was "Tenebrawl". Oh god, he was making himself look like a fool. He couldn't shamelessly throw his identity out the window. Especially if the guards caught him and they needed valuable personal information.

 

"Why did you accept the job of being an Oracle? Were you just interested?" Ravus questioned.

 

"Uh, I guess? I mean you could say I wanted to help out. Just being nice."

 

"Your kindness will be savoured." The older man replied with a sweet, soft smile on his face, like the one he had before Ardyn interrupted.

 

"Do you have any siblings?" Noctis just said _"fuck it"_ and chose a random question.

 

"I actually do. Her name is Lunafreya. My sister. She is out of the city to heal the sick and poor. Her job is an Oracle, yet she isn't here. So you will be taking her place. I'm glad she left, I wouldn't want her to marry some low-some man." Ravus gave a short chuckle.

 

"You seem to love her a lot."

 

"I'm interested in you. Do you have any siblings?"

 

"I uh...well, I'm adopted. I lost my father due to an unknown illness when I was at a young age. And..I really wanted to help- but I couldn't. I didn't know medical procedures, I just watched him as he died slowly..." Noctis jolted, realising he spoke too much. "I-I'm sorry, I spoke a lot-"

 

"No. That is fine. I'm interested."

 

 "Oh...so. To answer your question, I do have siblings, kind of. Stepsisters, two of them. And a stepmother. They treat me...well." Noctis hung that last bit into a mumble.

 

Ravus squinted his eyes like he was trying to surpass the invisible barrier between him and Noctis. "I see. What are you stepsisters names?"

 

Noctis laughed. "I really can't remember."

 

"What do you do at home? Chores?" Ravus tilted his head. They arrived at a small room. The older man opened up the door with a simple twist of the knob, opening the door wide open. There was a podium, where the trident was being held. They were a few cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling and the ground below. It seemed that the room hasn't been cleaned in a long time.

 

"Er, yeah. Chores. Yeah." Noctis replied, unsure of what to say. He coughed and sneezed at the sudden dust hitting his face. 

 

"This room hasn't been tended for long. Many servants are scared of accidentally hitting the trident. It's quite fragile. Made out of the precious gems, dug out of Niflheim's ground."

 

"So I shouldn't break it, huh?" Noctis gave a breathy laugh.

 

"Indeed," Ravus stated. The raven expected him to laugh along but didn't. That caused him to back up and become awkward in his little bubble. Sometimes it just needed to pop. The prince walked over to the podium, picking up the trident horizontally with care. He turned back towards Noctis.

 

"Put your hands out." He ordered, which Noctis obeyed. Ravus mumbled something under his breath in a foreign language, that Noctis could never decipher. The prince did a couple gestures with his eyes closed. Noct looked left and right nervously, thinking out in space.

 

"Do you accept the trident?" Ravus' voice was loud and clear, causing the younger man to jolt.

 

"Uh- yes. I accept."

 

"Good." He gave a soft smile that weakened Noctis' knees. He would buckle and tremble and fall and die in a million fucking pieces. Ravus laid down the trident onto Noctis' palms, which were red and sweaty. Then, Ravus took back the trident, pointing it vertically this time. There was a ring in the middle of the three-pronged spear. Ravus took hold of it, taking Noctis' left hand gently.

 

Ravus placed it on Noct's middle finger, sliding it through with ease.

 

"And now the ritual ends." Ravus finally says. "We shall head back to the ballroom before our Emporer decides to unleash his rage upon the guards and guests." The prince hands back Noctis the trident, who held it carefully with caution.

 

The two started walking back to the ballroom, which eyes gazed upon only them. It was kind of weird getting everyone's attention- especially in a ginormous ballroom. Noct wasn't ready for the public, nor even public _speaking_. His father said that he gained his awkwardness from him. Regis used to be extremely shy and nervous when he was a child and passed it down to his son. His mother, on the other hand, was energetic and very joyful. She would skip and hop whenever she'd walk, despite strange glances going her way.

 

"-oct! Noct!? NOCT!" A loud voice yelled in the crowd. 

 

W...Was that...?

 

Prompto!

 

Noct immediately started walking towards the blond, before his forearm was taken by Ravus' non-prosthetic hand. Prompto started running straight at his best friend but he was _pulled_ back by Ignis, who settled him in a nearby chair, which Gladiolus securing him.

 

Ravus stood a couple meters back in front of a line of women. The Prince clasped his hands behind, while Noctis stood right beside Ravus with his head down low, wielding the trident in his hand. Noct started shivering. The hand on the trident trembled and he could feel his teeth clattering. It wasn't cold or anything. He was actually panicking. His friends- well, mostly Prompto, was scrambling and shoving people (also apologising) out of the way. The guards quickly got to him, grabbing his forearms and bringing him back.

 

The crowd in the ballroom gathered around, creating a huge circle. The first lady was up, lifting her frills and the rims of her dress, bowing down politely. Genarec blonde with blue eyes and braids. From where Noct was standing, he could see a wart on the side of her face.

 

Ravus simply nodded his head, which brought the woman's hopes up.

 

_Already chosen a bride?_

 

"Pass." Ravus finally said.

 

The lady's shoulders dropped and the smile on her face turned into a depressing frown. Her face twisted into anger and she stomped her heels on the ground furiously. The next woman was up. Looked just like the one before. Ravus repeated that single word: "Pass". 

 

The next. Then the next. The next, the next, the next, the next, the next. And finally, there were two women that Noctis had to hang his head down low. His two stepsisters, fighting over who would go first.

 

They approached prince, either winking or giving a smile. Ravus blinked twice and Noct couldn't blame him. Ravus looked like he refused to gag. The prince stood high on his toes, observing anything asides from those hideous creatures. 

 

"Dear Shiva..." Noctis shook his head.

 

Ravus leaned down towards the raven's ear. "Do you know these two?"

 

"Uh...yeah. They're friends?" Noctis shrugged.

 

"Your description of _friends_ really confuses me." 

 

Noctis snorted, which turned into a quiet giggle. He knew Ravus heard, seeing the right side of his lip turned into a smile. It was fun until it lasted. 

 

"Pass." Ravus shook his head, his small smile forming into a more bigger one. The sister on the right groaned and stomped away as the one on the left tilted her head to the side. She put her hands on her hips and squinted her eyes. 

 

"Hey, isn't that N-"

 

"Ah- guards!?" Noctis yelled out.

 

The sister on the left was towed away while the one on the right followed along. The stepmother rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose out of irritation. Having _this much power is unhealthy._ They were tugged all the way out of the ballroom and to who knows where. Noctis snorted. Fucking freedom. He looked up at the clock. Almost twelve. Unfortunately, he had to leave. He had to come up with an excuse to place the trident and ring back to where it belonged.

 

Music started playing.

 

"W-Wait...what?"

 

"Seems like this year there weren't many women invited," Ravus answered. He looked away to the left, facing the other direction asides from Noctis. Noct could see a colour burning on his face. There was a tad pink colour on his cheeks. Was he...blushing? Women and men were dancing, mostly just doing the waltz or something formal. The women's dresses swayed like waves and men's tailcoats flailed.

 

"Ah." Ravus turned around, facing his eyes at Noct's, staring into those icy blue orbs. He quickly turned his head to the left while looking at the ground.

 

"May...I have this dance?"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe, awkward!ravus! idk, but Ravus seems like the type who acts superior, cold hearted and strict. On the inside, he's such a sweet heart and awkward, just like Noctis. Looks like they have some similarities ;3


End file.
